


A Samhain Night's Dream

by EllenOfOz



Series: Undercover Angel [2]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Bottom Dean, Canon-Typical Violence, Castiel and Dean Winchester in Love, Castiel in Panties, Cowboy Castiel, Dean Winchester Has a Panty Kink, Dorks in Love, Established Relationship, Fairies, Halloween, Halloween Gift Exchange, M/M, No Angst, Profound Bond Gift Exchange, Swearing, Top Castiel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-31
Updated: 2018-10-31
Packaged: 2019-08-09 13:08:21
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 13,025
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16450547
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EllenOfOz/pseuds/EllenOfOz
Summary: Dean and Castiel finally get the chance to go away for a few days to the Ozark Mountains over Halloween. They arrive in town, only to discover that trick or treaters are going missing.They agree to help out, even though working this case is preventing Dean from getting into his boyfriend’s satin panties. The kids are probably just hiding somewhere, stuffing their faces with candy, right?Wrong.This is the sequel toUndercover Angel, although you do not need to have read that first.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [cryptomoon](https://archiveofourown.org/users/cryptomoon/gifts).



> Please note: although this is the second part of this series, it works as a stand alone. Certain things might make more sense if you read part one first, though. Just saying :)
> 
> This little story is part of the ProfoundBond Halloween Exchange. I am slightly terrified to post it because I’m pretty new to the PB network and my giftee is none other than ProfoundBond creator and mod extraordinare, [Crypto](https://archiveofourown.org/users/cryptomoon)! I really hope you like it, and thanks for all the wonderful work you do for the fandom. Please consider part one of this series part of your gift too!
> 
> A big thanks to all the people who helped me to make this story better—[TrenchcoatBaby](https://archiveofourown.org/users/TrenchcoatBaby/pseuds/TrenchcoatBaby), [WaywardJenn](https://archiveofourown.org/users/waywardjenn), [CBFirestarter](https://archiveofourown.org/users/CBFirestarter/pseuds/CBFirestarter), [WaywardAF67](https://archiveofourown.org/users/WaywardAF67/pseuds/WaywardAF67), [MalMuses](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MalMuses/pseuds/MalMuses) and [Neonbat](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Neonbat/pseuds/Neonbat). Love you all!
> 
> The photo in my header is by [Emma Frances Logan](https://unsplash.com/photos/Vi9RqdN5GbQ?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText) on Unsplash.

_Oh, let the sun beat down upon my face_  
_Stars fill my dream_  
_I'm a traveler of both time and space_  
_To be where I have been_  
_Sit with elders of the gentle race_  
_This world has seldom seen_  
_They talk of days for which they sit and wait_  
_All will be revealed_

Dean sang along with the Zeppelin tape, the afternoon sun warming his face. The Interstate was busy, but they were making good time as they left Springdale, headed up into the Ozark Mountains. 

It had been Cas’ idea to book a weekend away—he'd found the place on Airbnb himself and booked them in as soon as Dean had agreed to it. There was just no quiet alone time at the bunker, what with it still being full of apocalypse-world hunters. 

Even so, the last five months had been among the happiest that Dean could remember. Sure, they'd worked cases themselves now and then, but between that, he and Cas had been together, and things were great. It wasn't that different than before, if he was honest, but it had taken Dean a while to work out how to _be_ around Cas, now that they were allowed to touch, to kiss…

Dean cleared his throat before that train of thought went much further, and rubbed his thumb over Cas’ hand where it rested on his thigh. He glanced over at the angel, who was eyeing him. 

“What?” Cas asked, as Dean dragged his gaze back to the road. He had no idea how Cas had taken to this intimacy so naturally, but he loved that he was jumping in feet-first, like he did with everything Dean had seen him do over the years. 

“Nothin’. We've just got to drop into town to pick up the key to this place.”

Cas nodded, looking back out the window. 

Dean recognised that set to his jaw. “Stop worrying, sweetheart. Jack'll be fine. We'll probably have signal at the cabin anyway, coverage is pretty good these days.”

Cas made a non-committal noise. Jack had got much better at controlling his powers lately, especially since he'd had to fix a couple more weak points in the veil. Heaven was still closed, so it looked like they were stuck on clean up duty until either Naomi reappeared, or Michael showed up. 

Dean went back to humming along with the tape until they finally passed a sign: _Alstonville, population 1450_.

The address Dean had been given was actually the corner store at one end of the town's main street. He pulled into the parallel parking spots at the front and got out, stretching his back after the long drive. 

Cas came around the back of the car, putting his hand on the small of Dean's back. He sent a burst of grace into Dean, who sighed as his muscles relaxed. He turned to Cas with a smile, pulling him in for a quick kiss. “What would I do without you?” he murmured. 

Castiel quirked a smile and replied, “You’d miss out on what I’m wearing under my clothes, for one thing.” He turned and walked into the store, leaving Dean standing by the car, gaping.

Damn that asshole. After five months of practice, he knew exactly how to get under Dean’s skin. In fact he’d been doing just that for far longer than five months, but now he had mastered it. Dean swallowed, adjusted the front of his jeans and followed his boyfriend into the store.

A cotton cobweb tickled his forehead as he walked in and he brushed it away, irritated. They hadn't even realized they'd booked over Halloween until today—it was cheaper to book midweek so it had seemed like as good a time as any. Dean hated this time of year so much. They pretty much lived Halloween all year—he couldn't for the life of him fathom why anyone would want to hang stupid decorations and cut vegetables into dumb shapes and attempt to scare each other in the name of a festival. 

He headed down the aisle, passing over the apples and carrots (he was on vacation, dammit) and grabbed a couple of carb-laden snacks for later, plus a six-pack on his way up the other side. Cas was chatting with the girl at the counter, and Dean slowed his walk to admire his casual lean. Castiel, angel of the Lord, was becoming more and more human as the years went by—the angelic warrior Dean met ten years ago would never be caught slouching like that. 

Cas turned as Dean approached, a fond smile flickering across his face. He looked back to the lady, but gestured in Dean's direction. “Here he is, my partner, Dean. Dean, this is Lydia.”

Ah, she was the one he'd booked the cabin with. “Right, hi,” he smiled, moving forward to shake her outstretched hand. 

Lydia grinned as she glanced between the two of them. “Welcome, and nice to meet ya. I left a little somethin’ in the cabin for you—I hope you enjoy it.”

“Thank you,” Cas said seriously, taking the key from her. 

As Dean was echoing the thanks, the door opened to admit a gaggle of young kids in varying costumes. They were quiet as they walked around the store, clutching their plastic pumpkin buckets, and Dean eyed a small witch as she came forward, eyes on Lydia.

“Sophie? What’s wrong, honey?” Lydia asked with a smile. 

“Um, Miss Johnson, did Jamie come in here this afternoon?” Sophie said nervously. Something had obviously spooked her, but considering what day it was, that wasn’t such a surprise.

Dean gestured to Cas and they moved into the aisle of the store. They needed to get directions to the cabin, but he didn’t really want to loom over the kids. 

Lydia considered the question. “No, I don’t think so. I saw y’all walkin’ past earlier, though. Did you get much candy on the Mill Road?”

“Some, yeah. We were heading up the hill, though, and then we couldn’t find Jamie. We don’t know where he is.”

Lydia came round the front of the counter and knelt down in front of Sophie, her face serious. “It’s okay, he can’t have got far. Hmm, maybe he came back home. Did you check there?”

“No, not yet, but we don’t think he came back ahead of us…” She turned to look at her friends, her eyes wide. 

One of them, a slightly taller kid in a Captain America suit that was perhaps a size too small for him, shook his head. “Nuh uh, she won’t believe us.” 

“Rudy,” Sophie whispered, frustrated. “We’ve got to tell her, she’s a—” She stopped, glancing back at Lydia quickly. She turned a desperate look back to Rudy. “How else are we gonna find him?”

Cas had wandered off down the aisle to look at something or other, but Dean couldn’t help but listen in. 

One of the other kids, whose toilet paper mummy-wrappings were trailing sadly behind him, spoke to Lydia, his eyes wide. “There was a flash of light, and he disappeared. As we went past the Jefferson place. We all saw it!” 

The kids all nodded, their serious little faces worried. 

Dean blinked. Were they making this up? He’d seen people disappear in flashes of light—hell, he’d done it himself once or twice. 

Lydia looked around at them, keeping her face serious as well. “Uh, okay. Disappeared, huh? Could, um, could I have a look at that candy you got?”

“See, I told you she wouldn’t believe us!” Rudy whined, turning to walk back out the door, but Dean stepped forward. 

“Hey, a house on the Mill Road, you said? My, er, friend and I could come help you look, if you like. We aren’t busy.”

The kids all looked up at him hopefully. Yep, he was pretty sure they weren’t lying, unless they were Oscar-worthy actors.

Lydia got to her feet. “Aw, thanks, but that’s okay. Jamie's her big brother. I’m sure he’s just at home, or maybe playing a little trick on these guys. You get to your vacation.”

“No, that’s okay. We want to help.” He looked back down at the kids. “Could you take me to where it happened?”

“Sure!” Sophie said with a big grin, reaching up to take his hand. He barely had time to give Cas a grin over his shoulder as he was dragged out of the shop.

Cas caught up with them as Sophie was leading Dean along the street. He leaned in and murmured, “Where are we going? I thought you wanted to get to the cabin before dark?”

“Yeah, well, I caught a case. I think,” Dean said, momentarily cursing himself for jumping into this. Mostly his hurry to get to the cabin had to do with starting their vacation and getting Cas out of his clothes, but as usual, work got in the way. Oh well, they could help these kids out and be on their way soon enough. 

They approached the corner and turned to see a street stretching up a hill, large houses spaced out on both sides. The light was fading now, and a chilly breeze blew through the trees. Dean shivered involuntarily—the town had an eerie vibe that was pretty much perfect for Halloween. 

“It was just up here,” Sophie says, heading off up the hill. The other kids trailed along behind, looking apprehensive. “Jamie didn't even want to come with us. He only came along because my Mom told him to.”

“It's okay, we'll find him,” Dean said, panting slightly as he tried to keep up. When he glanced back at Cas the angel was unruffled as ever. 

“Are you okay, Dean? You look flushed.”

“‘m fine,” Dean huffed, but he was glad when Sophie stopped in front of a pleasant house with a white picket fence and neatly trimmed hedges. A warm light shone in the windows on the lower level, and a jack-o-lantern grinned on the front step. “This doesn't look so bad,” he murmured to Cas once he'd regained his breath. 

“No,” Rudy said, “this is Mrs Burke’s house. She's fine. The Jefferson's place is that one.” 

Dean's eyes followed his pointing finger to the house next door. It was barely visible behind overgrown trees, but the busted windows and peeling paint he could see seemed to suggest it was abandoned. 

“Right, of course. You guys didn't go in there, did you?” Looked like the perfect lair for something or other, perhaps vampires. Although they wouldn't usually hang out in town like this.

“Of course not!” Sophie looked offended. “Everyone knows it's haunted.”

Dean shook his head as he looked at the house. Ghosts couldn't make people disappear—at least not the ones he'd met. Flashes of light…a witch? There were plenty of possibilities. 

Cas asked, “What makes you think it's haunted?”

Rudy shivered. “Lights.”

“Noises, sometimes,” Sophie added. “And Sally Baker, she lives just up there. She said she hears singing in there now and then.”

“Singing?” Dean repeated. He'd never heard of vampires who sang before, but then again, they were just people who'd been converted to the blood diet. Some of them were bound to be singers, he supposed. 

Sophie nodded, wide-eyed, then looked past Dean. Dean looked back over his shoulder. 

She called, “Jake! What're you doing?” just as the kid with the trailing toilet paper opened the wire gate of the haunted house. It swung open with a screech. 

“Jake? Better stay back here with us, buddy” Dean said, taking a few steps towards him. 

Jake didn't respond, didn't even look at them. He stepped forward through the gate and vanished in a bright flash. 

Dean stepped back again with a gasp, along with Cas and the other kids. 

The evening fell quiet, crickets chirping over the faint road noise from the highway down the hill. 

Cas moved forward. “Jake?” 

Dean moved towards the gate but Cas grabbed his arm on the way past. “Dean,” he warned, but Dean patted his hand before stepping forward again. 

“It's okay, I'm not going through. Stay back.” He stopped in front of the open gate, peering at the ground. At least there were no piles of ash or, thankfully, bits of anyone. He looked up at the house, looming behind trees. No lights or sounds. Jake really had disappeared. 

Sophie called out Jake’s name again, sounding panicked.

Cas stepped up behind him and murmured, “Dean, we need to get these kids home.”

Dean shook his unease away. “Right. You're right. It's getting dark.” And he and Cas needed to discuss this, privately. So much for their vacation. 

“No, we want to help!” Sophie said, grabbing his arm. 

Rudy looked terrified. “No, I don't! I wanna go home.”

Dean patted Sophie's shoulder. “That's okay, Soph, we've got this. It'll be a lot safer if you're at home, okay? We'll find them. Come on, we'll come with you.”

Sophie pouted, looking adorable with her witch hat askew, but she turned and trudged off down the hill, Rudy following her. 

“So, what're we thinking? Witch?” Dean asked as he and Cas walked down the hill behind the kids. 

Cas nodded. “Could be. It's not angelic, but the magic they're using is ancient.”

“What else could it be? A God?” Dean really hoped not. All the other gods they'd met had been assholes, and pains in the ass to get rid of. 

“No, I don't think so. Some kind of magic user, though.” 

Dean breathed out a sigh. “I had so hoped to be naked by now.”

“Dean.” The raised eyebrow that Cas turned on him then sent fire down to his toes. He reached over and pulled the angel in by the back of the neck for a lingering kiss. “What color today?” Dean whispered as they continued down the street. 

“Blue. Satin.”

Dean kept his eyes forward as he swallowed. “Let's just help these kids, then I'm going to investigate that. With my teeth.”

Cas huffed a laugh and Dean waved as Rudy peeled off to a house on the other side of the main street. Sophie was still marching angrily a few places ahead. When they reached a picket fence a few houses past the store, she turned and wagged her finger at them. 

“You'd better find him. My mom is going to be so mad that I let him get away. Or taken by aliens or eaten by ghosts or something.”

Dean started to reassure her, but she turned and opened the gate, stomping off up a garden path. 

“I guess we're in trouble.” He grinned at Cas as they turned back towards the store. “Let's go see what Lydia knows.”

Inside, Lydia was sweeping the floor in the aisles. 

“Didja find him?” she asked, looking up. 

“No, but we…saw what the other kids were talking about. Jake has also been taken.”

When Lydia's mouth dropped open in shock, Dean glanced at Cas. He was getting better at tact, but still preferred the “tell it like it is” approach. 

“Taken? By who? Taken where?” She dropped the broom and rushed forward, looking like an incoming storm. 

“We're not sure yet,” Dean tried to deflect her, but she stopped close to Cas, poking her finger into his chest. 

“And you just let them take him? What the hell is wrong with you?”

Okay, this was getting out of hand. Dean said, “Look, we didn't just let him get taken, all right? He disappeared, like he was teleported.”

Lydia turned to stare at him, her eyes already wide with incredulity. “Teleported? Have you been eatin’ that bad candy as well? Look, I really think you fellas should just go to the cabin, have a great time. I'll sort this out.”

“You will?” Dean asked, glancing at Cas. They should probably go along with what she suggested, not just because he desperately wanted to start their vacation (although that was certainly part of it), but it wouldn't be the first time they'd been run out of town and come back later to finish a job. 

Lydia moved back behind the counter and started to put things away underneath. “Yes, I will. If there's somethin’ magical abductin’ kids in this town, I'm pretty sure you're not gonna be able to help.”

“And why’s that? You a hunter?” It was worth a shot to ask, although he'd never heard of any hunter out here. 

Lydia stopped and looked up, a horrified look on her face. “No! Why, are you?”

Cas looked at Dean again and a tiny shrug passed between them. Cas said, “Yes.”

Her face blanched and she put a hand out as she spoke quickly. “This wasn't me, okay? I just live here, in peace. I put protections in place to stop this kind of crap, but it's obviously not workin’—”

“Whoa, whoa. Slow down, lady. What's not working? Who are you?” Dean asked, trying to get a grasp on what they were dealing with. 

She stopped and took a breath before continuing. “I'm no one. Just someone who found that her wiccan spells were working better than other people's seemed to.”

“You’re a witch?” Cas asked.

“No! Well, not really. Look, I just want to look after my town, okay? I would never hurt any of those kids.” She turned her face away to angrily rub at her eyes.

“Hey, it’s okay, we’re not here to make accusations. Just...what exactly are you protecting them from?” Dean asked, gently. 

Lydia looked up, her eyes steely with determination. “The town lies on an energy line. You know, the ley lines? The hill up there is a gateway...to another world.” She looked at them, eyes wide, as though she expected them to be shocked. Dean and Cas glanced at each other.

Dean asked, “And what’s in this other world that you don’t want here?”

Lydia seemed thrown by their lack of reaction. “The... the _aos sí_.”

Dean turned to Cas, his heart dropping. “Fucking fairies.”


	2. Chapter 2

“Fucking fairies, Sam.” Dean rubbed his forehead with one hand as he checked in with Sam.

“Yeah, I heard you the first two times.” Sam chuckled on the other end of the line. “So do they only take kids on Halloween?”

“I dunno—you're the lore nerd. Lydia said something about the walls between worlds being thinner at, uh…Samhain, right? They can only get through now. The rest of the time, her wards work. At least, that's what she thinks.”

“Right, Samhain. For the Celts, Samhain was an important celebration of the dead. Wiccans, too. That’s why people dress up—to disguise themselves from the spirits who are around. And people give candy to trick-or-treaters as an offering to get the monsters to leave them alone...which works well with kids, I guess.”

Huh... Dean had never thought of trick-or-treating like that before. “Hang on, you said that you have to dress up to disguise yourself?”

“Yeah, so that spirits or fairies or whatever can’t take you.”

Dean wondered if his inkling might be right. He turned back to Lydia and Cas, who were at the front of the store, talking quietly. “Hey, the kids that were taken weren’t dressed up. The first kid, uh… Jamie, right? He was the girl's older brother, just along because Mom said so. Was he dressed up, Lydia?”

Lydia shook her head, so Dean continued, “And the other kid, Jake—his costume was basically falling off. You can hide from fairies with a disguise.”

Cas nodded, thoughtfully. “So the fairy is taking people who aren’t in costume? But where is it taking them? And where are we going to get costumes at this hour on Halloween?

“Whoa whoa whoa. Why are we dressing up?” Dean waved a finger between them.

“So that the fairy doesn’t take us, too?” Cas said, as though it was an obvious solution.

“No, no. That's ridiculous.”

Lydia spoke up, “I have some.”

Dean and Cas turned to look at her. She blinked at them, then threw a thumb over her shoulder. “Well, I’ve got a few left in adult sizes, I think. Got ‘em in for the kids, mainly. Let me see.” She headed off to the back of the store and started rummaging in some boxes.

Dean turned back to Cas and pointed a finger at him. “For the record, this is a terrible idea.” He put the phone back to his ear. “Okay, Sam. So how do we get rid of fairies again?”

“Well, iron seemed to work. And if you spill salt or sugar, they have to count every grain.”

Dean nodded. “That's right. Also incineration in a microwave.” He grinned, then laughed as Lydia looked over at him, horrified.

“An angel blade might do it. Not really sure. I'll look into it,” Sam said.

“Okay, but make it snappy. We need to find those kids.”

“Yes, sir. Jeez. And, Dean? Make sure you take pictures.”

Dean huffed and hung up.

Lydia came back over with armfuls of plastic-wrapped clothing. “Pretty sure something here should fit y'all.” She dumped a few items in Cas’ arms, then the rest in Dean's. “Hurry up, okay? I don't want those kids gettin’ hurt and it's already seven thirty. You can get changed in the storeroom.”

As Cas headed for the storeroom, Dean eyed the pile, mostly black and red. He sighed, but managed to get the huge sack of a black robe over his jeans and t-shirt, and he took the pointy rubber teeth out of the plastic packet and eyed them warily.

Lydia returned from taking some extra costume item to Cas. “Went for the vampire, huh?” she said, grinning.

“For the record, these are nothing like real vampire teeth,” Dean said, shoving the rubber chompers into his mouth.

Lydia's grin fell. “You've met vampires?”

“I wash one for a widdle while…” he said around the teeth, chewing on them slightly. They tasted awful.

“But aren't they, y'know, undead?”

Dean showed her his new teeth in a grimace. “Usually.”

The door to the storeroom opened. Dean turned to see Cas stepping out, his face turned down to adjust one of his boots. His other hand was holding a…a cowboy hat…onto his head. Dean's brain function ground to a halt. The shirt was white, with a printed pattern where embroidery might usually go. He was wearing a bolo tie, and, God help him, grey-wash jeans that hugged his thighs like his suit trousers never did. Dean could hardly breathe—the dream! It was straight out of that fucking recurring cowboy dream.

Cas looked up as he walked the aisle. He held out his hands to the sides and asked, “Well?”

Dean made a noise that he intended to be “Wow,” but came out more like “Glaargh.”

Lydia laughed.

Dean said, “Huck,” and spat the teeth out into his hands, along with an undignified string of drool.

Cas smirked and said to Lydia, “Dean is a cowboy enthusiast. I thought he might appreciate this one.”

“Well it certainly suits,” Lydia replied with an appreciative up-and-down look. “Are the jeans okay? They look kinda tight…”

Her glance pulled Dean from his stupor long enough to say, “Hey, that’s… that’s my huckleberry. Hands off.”

Lydia looked at him, laughing. “Settle down there, Edward. I've got my own upstairs. Whose jeans do you think those are?”

Cas turned and bent down to pick up the bag of supplies from the floor behind him, and Dean let out a whimper. His heart had nearly stopped—he'd fully expected to get an eyeful of blue satin panties, but the rational part of his brain helpfully reminded him that this was not the dream. Instead, Cas’ perfect ass was barely contained in the tight jeans, and there really was rather too much saliva in Dean's mouth. He swallowed heavily.

Dimly, he registered that Lydia had said something. He looked up at her. “S-sorry?”

She was grinning at him, eyebrows raised. “You okay, there? Should I leave?”

Dean's face heated as Cas straightened up, turning to look at him questioningly.

“Dean, come on. Let's move.” Cas headed for the door, his stern face in place and his tone of command doing things to Dean. He was momentarily glad that he was wearing a potato sack to hide the rock-hard bulge in his jeans. This hunt was gonna kill him.

Lydia followed Cas, laughing.

Dean stood for a moment. _Right,_ he pep-talked himself. _Kill the monster, save the kids_. But how was he supposed to do that, when he knew exactly what was under those tight, thigh-hugging jeans? He tried to will away his arousal. Get the case done. Then he was gonna get his angel into that cabin and take him apart.

Outside, stars were sprinkled across the darkening sky. Dean barely noticed, his eyes once again drawn to the way the costume shirt clung to Cas’ shoulders as he followed him out. He was surprised by Lydia's voice from where she was leaning against the wall by the door. “Be careful,” she said grimly. “If you meet them, don't eat or drink anything the fairies offer you.”

Dean dragged his eyes from the cowboy and said, “You're not coming?”

Lydia shook her head. “I ain’t dressing up. I'm gonna prepare the spells for the warding. As soon as you're done, I'll cast ‘em again. Don't be long—the veil gets weaker the closer to midnight it gets.”

“Thanks, Lydia.” Cas was rifling through the bag. “I don't think we need all this, Dean. Here, put this in your pocket.” He passed Dean a handful of what Dean assumed was salt, followed by a flashlight and a iron crowbar. Cas followed suit, then dropped the bag back in the front seat of the car, closing the door with a clunk.

***

The Jefferson house was still and dark, its looming bulk barely visible from the front gate. Dean stuffed the fake teeth into his mouth, trying not to gag at the feeling of something so foreign in his mouth.

Cas murmured, “Dean, are you all right?”

Dean turned his plastic grin on him and said, “Fang-tashtic.”

“Good. Let’s go check around the back.” Cas started to head to the fence.

“Fang… fang-tashtic. Come on, didn’t you get it?” Dean whined, following after him.

Cas glanced back over his shoulder. “I understood it, but do you really think now’s the time for bad puns?”

Dean scoffed, muttering, “‘S alwaysh time for bad punsh.” The teeth cut into his gums painfully.

Cas bent over to pick something up off the ground and Dean’s jaw dropped again. He let out a small, frustrated noise and forced himself not to grope Cas on the sidewalk. How was he supposed to concentrate under these conditions?

Cas straightened up and turned. In his hand was a few squares of toilet paper from Jake’s ill-fated costume, but his face was soft. “I’m sorry, Dean. Let’s just get this done, then we can get to the cabin, okay?” He put his warm hand on Dean’s face and drew him in for a kiss on the cheek.

Dean chased after his mouth, but just ended up bumping his fake teeth into Cas’ lips. He cursed again and Cas chuckled, then he turned, put one hand on the top of the pickets, and leapt over gracefully. As soon as his feet touched ground on the other side, he disappeared in a flash.

Dean gaped, frozen for a few moments. “Cash?” he stage-whispered. “Huck.” He spat out the ridiculous teeth again, and walked up and down the fenceline, shining his flashlight around, trying to see anything on the ground - sigils, hex bags, anything. But there was only a narrow bed of flowers and the edge of the lawn. “Fucking… fuck.”

Why the hell had Cas been taken? Maybe the costume thing hadn’t worked—it might be some kind of actual portal instead. He looked up and down the street, shuffling in indecision. He was gonna have to follow. Nothing else for it—what if Cas had been attacked? He knew Cas could look after himself, but there was nothing going on here, or in the house, that he could see.

He stepped back a few paces, then ran a few steps and vaulted over the fence, landing on the grass on the other side with his eyes scrunched shut. There were no new sounds—the crickets continued to chirp, a night bird called somewhere nearby. He opened one eye, peering around. He was standing in the front yard of the house, the fence just behind him. He hadn’t moved anywhere.

“Fuck, no!” he cursed, spinning around to look back at the house. “Take me too, you assholes!” When there was no reply, he gripped the iron crowbar a little tighter and headed over to the front gate. He opened it and stepped back through to the sidewalk, then attempted to appear nonchalant as a car drove past up the street, headlights lighting up the street for a few moments.

He stepped back through the gate, and cursed again when he wasn’t swept away to Faerie, or whatever. What the fuck was going on here? He felt slightly left out, too, like what did those kids and Cas have that he didn’t? Youth, he guessed. Or grace.

He moved towards the house, his boots crunching on dry leaves scattered across the brick path. A cool breeze suddenly blew leaves up in an eddy around his feet and he shivered, wishing he’d worn his coat underneath the costume. Something rustled in the bushes nearby, and he nearly jumped out of his skin, but when nothing attacked him, he stopped waving the iron around in front of himself and continued on, shining his flashlight towards the front of the house.

The door was closed, but the broken windows on either side had holes large enough that someone had probably used them for entrance once or twice. There was a musty smell about the building—rotting wood and mold, and a general sinister feeling creeping up the back of his neck. He stepped up onto the porch and peered through one window, flicking the light over the interior. There was nothing in there but mouldering furniture and cobwebs. A thick layer of dust lay over the floor. No one had been here for some time.

Dean turned back towards the street, wondering what his next move should be. When he swung his gaze around to the right, he saw a light in one of the windows downstairs in the house next door, clearly visible from here. And as he looked, the twitch of a curtain and a pale face, disappearing from the window. Someone was watching.

He remembered the kids saying that whoever lived next door was “fine”. Surely they would have seen something going on here, if they were curtain-twitchers?

He headed back to the street, away from the creepy house and its overgrown garden. The house next door was large, its well-manicured garden visible in the light from the downstairs windows. Dean walked down the path, stuffing the crowbar in his belt and replacing his vamp teeth.

The jack-o-lantern on the porch looked vaguely menacing when he stepped past it, and the imposing front door was large and wooden, the two halves resolutely closed. Guess these people didn’t actually want trick or treaters tonight. When he rang the doorbell he heard it ring faintly inside, then footsteps approached. He stepped back from the door as the right side of it opened, and a short, middle-aged lady poked her head out, looking him up and down.

“Hello. Can I help you?” she asked, sounding nervous—not really surprising when a six-foot-plus guy in a black robe had just showed up on her doorstep.

Dean couldn’t resist. “Trick or treat?” he asked, showing his pointy teeth. Unfortunately that made him lose his grip on them, and they dropped to the ground with a wet _splot_. “Crap,” he muttered, then looked up, embarrassed. The lady was eyeing the teeth, then him with a faint distaste.

He smiled at her, hoping charm would carry him. “Sorry about that. I’m actually, uh, Agent Sanderson, FBI. Can I ask you a couple of questions?”

The woman eyed him suspiciously. “What kind of questions?”

“Uh, could I start with your name?” Dean tried, trying to salvage the interview.

“Myra Burke.”

“Thanks, Mrs Burke. May I call you Myra?” Dean asked.

“No.”

Right. “Okay then. Mrs Burke, the house next door. How long has it been abandoned?”

“Many years. It was like that when I moved in here.” She huffed in impatience, barely holding the door wide enough for her to look through.

Dean tried to keep his tone civil. “So have you ever heard noises in there? Seen lights or people around?”

“No. Now if you’ll excuse me—” Mrs Burke was interrupted by a crash somewhere inside the house. She flinched, glancing away, then looked back at Dean with wide eyes. “Please excuse me, my dog sometimes likes to knock things over.”

Dean stared at her. That was either a big dog, or something was trying to break through a wall in there. Could it be...

“Sure. Just let me grab you my card in case you do hear anything.” Mrs Burke flinched as Dean hiked up his robe to fish in his pocket. He pulled his hand out, and casually scattered a handful of salt inside the door, across her feet.

With a cry, Mrs Burke fell to the floor, gathering up the grains. “Why would you do that?!” she said, frustrated.

“I had to know whether you were _aos sí_.” Dean said. “Guess I was right.”

Mrs Burke looked up sharply as Dean pulled the iron crowbar from his belt and stepped towards her, pushing the door open wide. She threw a hand up, fingers splayed, and muttered a few words.

Before Dean could put a foot over the threshold, he was held immobile. “Hey, let me go.”

She smirked, an ugly look on her face. “I don’t think so. I’ll deal with you once this mess is gone.”

“Did you take those kids?” He asked through gritted teeth, struggling to escape her hold.

“Yes, I did.” She picked up the salt gracefully, grain by grain, putting it into her own apron pocket as she spoke. “It’s time for our yearly collection, and those human children will do nicely in Oberon’s court.”

Fucking fairies. “What about the man you took? The adult in the cowboy outfit?” _My boyfriend, you sick bitch_. His breath hitched slightly. He hoped Cas was okay.

She looked up momentarily. “The angel? I like him. He's pretty.”

Dean roared in frustration, straining against the invisible bonds keeping him out of the house. “Let them go!”

Behind Mrs Burke in the hallway, a door crashed open. Cas staggered out of it, followed by a couple of kids peeping around the corner. He looked unhurt, and to Dean, like the most beautiful sight he’d ever seen. The cowboy turned to the kids. “Stay back,” he said gruffly.

“Cas?” Dean couldn’t believe his eyes.

Cas turned to take in the sight of Dean standing in the doorway over the fairy kneeling in the salt. He squinted, tilting his head. “Dean?”

Still so freaking adorable.

Mrs Burke stood suddenly, throwing out her hands towards each of them and shouting a few words.

The door slammed in Dean’s face and all the lights in the house went out.

“No!” Dean shouted, and finding he could now move again, he thumped his fist into the closed door. There was no handle on the outside, not even a keyhole. He could only hear silence from inside the house, and the windows were dark, even when he shone his torch inside.

“Fuck.” The fairy bitch was gone, and Cas with her.


	3. Chapter 3

Dean paced the porch, trying to suppress a panicky feeling in his stomach. He considered the options—the bitch had either put some kind of cone of silence on the house, or she had teleported them all somewhere else. 

He tried the door again, but it barely rattled in the frame, stuck resolutely shut. “Fuck,” he muttered again, at a loss. He glanced at the abandoned house next door, but it was also dark and silent. 

Of course this had fucking happened. When could anything ever be easy for him and Cas? All he wanted to do was get his angel somewhere quiet, strip him down to his lacy panties and then fuck him senseless. Or the other way around, he didn’t mind, as long as they could do something soon. He’d been blue-balling it for hours now, although the worry was killing the semi he’d been sporting ever since Cas had walked out in that ridiculously hot costume.

There was a crunch on the garden path behind where he was standing, and he spun around to see Lydia cautiously making her way towards him. He let out a breath of relief and jogged back down the porch steps to join her. She wasn’t in costume, just the jeans and shirt she’d been wearing in her store.

“So, did you know Mrs Burke was a fairy?” Dean greeted her, grimacing.

Lydia stared at him. “What? No! She’s a nice lady, always helping out at the school bake sales and things.”

Dean nodded. “Well, not anymore. I dunno what happened to the real Mrs Burke but now she’s a psycho kidnapper. She’s taken them all somewhere, including Cas.”

“Shit, I’m sorry. Where were they?”

Dean turned back, gesturing to the front door. “In there, but the door’s stuck now and I can’t even hear anything, and I have no idea where they’ve gone. What if they’re in the fairy realm right now? I tried to get through over the fence, too, but she wouldn’t take me, and I—”

Lydia put her hand on his arm, speaking quietly. “Dean, it’s okay. We’ll find them, and your boyfriend.” 

Dean still got a little shiver of shock when anyone referred to Cas as his boyfriend, like he couldn’t believe he was actually allowed to call him that. The sudden thought shook him out of his panic, and he nodded, taking a deep breath. There was no way these fairy douchebags were gonna take Cas away from him. 

He asked, “Can you get us in there?”

Lydia looked up towards the front door, closing her eyes for a moment. “There are strong protections here. I’m not sure I’m going to be able to get through them.” She opened her eyes again, looking back to Dean. Something on his face must have conveyed how desperate he was, because she nodded and said, “I’ll try.”

She walked up the porch steps and stood in front of the door, lifting her hands and bringing them together slowly. She murmured a few words, and the door shifted slightly. She spoke again, but Dean couldn’t quite make out the words. A glow sprang up in front of her, and as she held out her hands towards the door, Dean could see that the light was shining from them. The front door rattled, then slammed open into the hallway beyond. Lydia dropped her hands and slumped against the doorframe, panting. 

Dean sprang up the steps behind her, drawing his gun from the back of his pants and out from under his robe. He murmured, “Nice work. You okay?” and when Lydia nodded, he patted her shoulder and crept into the house. 

The interior was dark and silent. Dean shone his flashlight into what must be the living room, then continued on towards the door he remembered Cas coming out of. It was unlocked, but all was dark and silent down there, too.

Dean found some stairs going up, but debated whether it was worth going up them. He suspected he’d just find more empty rooms up there—he was pretty sure wherever Cas and the kids were, they’d be making a ruckus. Worry fluttered in his chest again. He hoped they were all right.

Back at the front of the house, Lydia was standing just inside the door, her eyes closed. Dean approached cautiously. “Lydia? You okay?”

“They’re not here.” 

Dean turned to look back down the hall behind him. “Yeah, I gathered that.”

“No, they’re not just not here—I mean they’ve gone completely. To Avalon.” Lydia opened her eyes and frowned at Dean.

Dean blinked. “Come again?”

“The Fairy realm. I can feel traces of her magic.”

“Well can you take us there, too?” Dean tried to hold his impatience in check.

“No! Do you know how much power it takes to break through to another realm? Even tonight, when the veil is weak...I’m sorry...” Lydia trailed off, looking disappointed, and a little scared.

“Actually, I do know someone who might be able to help.” Dean fished his phone out of his back pocket. He dialed Sam, hoping he wasn’t in the can or something. It went to his voicemail, so he tried again. “C’mon, bitch.” He hung up again before the message tone, frustrated. It was only like eight—where could he be?

His mind flicked back to not so long ago, when he’d tried and tried to get a hold of Cas, when he’d been missing. He’d told Dean later he’d heard his prayers, which made him wonder about Jack. How much angel did the kid need in him before he started hearing crap like that? Dean knew he could hear angel radio, though it hurt him when he did. He closed his eyes and tried to clear his mind. He said quietly, “Jack? Jack, we need you, buddy. Cas is in danger.” 

He opened one eye, looking around. Lydia looked at him quizzically. “What are you…?” She trailed off as she looked over his shoulder, wide-eyed and open-mouthed. 

Dean spun around. Jack was standing right behind him, looking around with confusion. He gave Dean a sunny smile when he looked back to him, though, greeting him with, “Hello, Dean.” He reminded Dean so much of Cas at that moment, it was like a punch to the gut.

“Jack! Am I happy to see you. We got a situation here.”

Jack’s smile fell as Dean told him about the fairy and how she’d taken Cas and the kids. He tilted his head, asking, “So how do you know they’ve gone to the Fairy Realm?”

Lydia had been standing quietly since Jack arrived. She lifted one hand and said, nervously, “Uh, I felt the residual magic.”

“Oh,” Jack replied, looking at her. 

There was a beat of awkward silence before Dean cleared his throat and jumped in to her rescue. “Sorry, I didn’t introduce you. Lydia, this is Jack, our… adopted son. He’s part-angel.”

“Yes, I know what a nephilim is,” she said, looking like she might be about to bolt.

Dean eyed her warily. “Jack, Lydia is a witch.”

Jack looked puzzled. “No, she isn’t. She’s not human.”

Lydia started to back away, just as Dean let out a surprised, “What?”

“I can see her wings…” Jack started, just as Lydia said, “Look, I've been living here in peace. I had no idea any of them had come through until this afternoon…”

Dean spoke over her. “You’re one of them? Why didn’t you say so earlier?”

“Because I thought you were going to kill me!” she shot back.

“Get us to Avalon.” 

“I can’t!” she replied desperately. “I told you already!”

Dean fixed her with his most threatening glare. “You can’t or you won’t?”

Lydia glared back at him for a moment, while Jack stood to one side, watching the exchange with interest. “I’m an exile, okay? I helped a human escape the realm, and the court cast me out. I live here now—my magic isn’t strong, but I do what I can to protect the town.”

“And why the hell should we believe you now? You’ve been lying all along.”

Jack put a reassuring hand on Dean’s arm. “I can get us there, Dean. I’ll just need her help to direct me.”

Dean looked to Jack. Yes, Dean had called him here hoping he could do just that, but hopping worlds hadn’t been a whole lot of fun last time—for any of them. “You sure about this? Remember what happened with Kaia…”

“It’s fine. I’m in better control now. I’ll be gentle.”

Lydia looked between them, confusion plain on her face. She shook her head. “Wh-what’re you talking about? Who’s Kaia?”

Jack’s eyes were sad as he said, “A Dreamwalker. She helped me to reach other worlds before.”

“And… where is she now?” Lydia asked, her dread palpable.

Dean’s impatience finally got the better of him. “That doesn’t matter now. All we need is for Jack to touch you. You can stay behind if you want to, but we’re running out of time.”

Lydia straightened. “No, I’m coming. I need to go back there—do you know what it's like to be forced to live somewhere far from home without being allowed to ever go back?”

Dean nodded. He may not have known the feeling first hand, but he'd certainly seen that kind of longing close up. Thinking of Cas made him turn to Jack. “Let's go then.”

Jack reached out his hands, placing one on Dean’s arm again, and touching Lydia’s temple lightly with the fingers of the other. She tried to flinch back, but then stood still while Jack touched her. 

Then all was the empty freeze, the pressing nothingness of the aether. Dean could barely feel the pressure of Jack’s hand on his arm, and he certainly couldn’t take a breath to scream, though he wanted to. When they zapped back to somewhere solid, Dean doubled over, breathing deeply. He looked up eventually, squinting against the sudden bright daylight. Lydia was smiling brighter than he’d seen so far, looking around herself in delight. He lifted his eyes to look around as well.

This must be Avalon. Everything was brighter here—the colors of the plants, the garden that was surrounding them, even the air seemed to shimmer. There was something odd about his vision, though, like he was seeing everything with soft focus—kinda fuzzy around the edges. Dean checked himself over—he still had all his limbs, thank fuck… and his weapons. 

“I’m home,” Lydia whispered, and Dean’s eyes widened as he noticed for the first time the wings sprouting from her back, over her shoulder blades—large, diaphanous wings, currently fluttering slightly against the fabric of her shirt and jeans. 

Jack was smiling, holding one hand up as a large butterfly landed on his fingers. Its wings were blue, edged in black, and Jack flinched and shook it off again. “It bit me!” he exclaimed, shaking his hand.

Lydia laughed. “Things aren’t the same here as in your world. Watch your back.” 

Jack examined his finger, frowning. 

Dean huffed with impatience. “Okay, what’re we looking at, here? Jack, do you think Cas is nearby?”

Jack looked up at Dean. “I’m not sure, but, uh… they might know.” He was looking over Dean’s shoulder. Why did everyone keep sneaking up behind him like that?

Dean spun around to see three fairy males, tall, well-built, and pointy-eared. They had no visible weapons, but there was a generally menacing air about them that gave Dean the impression that they weren’t welcome.

“Hiya, fellas. Uh, take us to your leader?” Dean tried for a grin but the fairies regarded him impassively.

One of them spoke. “Adylle, you should not have returned. You’ll accompany us to the Seelie Court.” 

Lydia bowed her head and moved forward. 

Dean murmured, “Hey, what’re you doing?”

“If your boyfriend and the kids are anywhere, it’ll be at the court, okay? Let’s play along.” Lydia walked after the other Fairies, head held high. 

Dean turned back to Jack, who looked slightly alarmed. “Stay close, kid,” he muttered, and followed Lydia.

***

Dean was seriously getting officially sick of fairies and their shit. They'd been led along, the tall males walking ahead and the three of them trailing after. He'd have tried to sneak away behind them, if he had a clue where they were being taken. 

Now they walked along a path through the endless oak forest, the bracken swaying gently in a breeze Dean couldn't feel. The temperature wasn't uncomfortable, but they'd been walking for so long be was starting to work up a sweat. He'd taken off the stupid polyester vampire “robe”, dumping it along the way so he didn't have to carry it. 

He could have sworn they'd passed through the clearing they arrived in at least twice, but in this place it was impossible to tell which way the sun was coming from. They passed through part of the forest carpeted by plants with pretty purple bell flowers on stalks. Dean had no idea what they were called. Cas was the flower expert, not him. 

Finally, _finally_ , they stopped walking around in what felt like circles and stepped out of the edge of the forest into a wide, grassy field, bathed in afternoon sunlight. Dean squinted at what lay ahead. Across the field loomed a city climbing up the side of a hill, its red roofs shining in the sun. It looked like something straight out of _Lord of the Rings_. 

“Well, Jack, looks like we've walked all the way to New Zealand,” he remarked. 

Jack turned to him, confused. “No, we're no longer on Earth.”

Dean really wished the kid would stop reminding him of Cas at every turn because the anxiety was starting to burn the back of his throat. He turned back to the city as they walked out across the field, muttering, “Never mind.”

The stone wall had a wide arch leading into it, but no gate. As they approached the wide, paved road that led into the city, they joined a steady stream of foot traffic that came and went, mostly fairies with pointy ears and wings of various shapes and sizes. There weren't even any guards that Dean could see, but the fairies going about their business reminded Dean so much of his LARP days with Charlie that his chest clenched painfully. Perhaps he could convince the alt-Charlie to go along to a session sometime. 

The city inside the walls was bustling. Shops lined a wide boulevard, and it felt curiously modern despite the complete lack of cars or electronics. 

At the end of the boulevard was a palace, Dean guessed, or some kind of official building. His gun was taken from him at the entrance, as well as the knives at his hip and boot. The fairy guard who took them screwed up his delicate features as he dropped the iron into a small bag, slinging it over his shoulder. 

Large double doors were flung open at the rear end of the foyer to admit them to a light, airy room. High ceilings gave it a cathedral feel, but inexplicably, tall trees grew in rows in place of columns. The room was crowded with fairies big and small, some with iridescent wings, dressed in every colour like a shifting rainbow. They murmured when they saw Lydia, obviously unsettled. Butterflies and some of the small tinkerbell-like fairies, like the one Dean had microwaved that one time, flitted above the crowd. Dean noticed Jack ducking away from them. 

It occurred to Dean that Charlie’s friend, Gilda, might be here. He glanced around the crowd again but didn’t see any familiar faces.

The crowd parted and another tall, male fairy came forward to greet them. This one was wearing a tailored grey suit with pale, transparent wings extending from his shoulder blades, and he wore a gold circlet on his brow. He inclined his head to them.

Dean nearly jumped out of his skin when Lydia dropped to her knees, her face turned down.

“Your Majesty, please forgive me.” Her voice sounded wrecked, like she was holding back tears. 

“Welcome home, Adylle. Thank you for bringing us these offerings.”

“No, that's not what I…”

“Unfortunately, two humans isn't quite enough to make up for what you've done. Guards?”

The fairies who had escorted them to the city stepped forward and grabbed Lydia, hauling her back upright. 

Dean moved forward. “Now wait just a moment. We're here to find our friends and return them home. You can't just—” 

“Quiet, human. We'll decide your fate shortly.” 

This guy with the crown was really starting to get on Dean's nerves, now. He took a deep breath to give the guy a piece of his mind, when he heard to one side, “Dean?”

Dean spun to see Cas standing to one side of the room, and all the air left him in a rush. The angel was back in his suit and trench coat, no sign of the cowboy gear. He looked unharmed, except that on his head was a circle of pink and yellow flowers. 


	4. Chapter 4

Dean had never seen anything so perfect in his life. “Cas,” he breathed. 

He left whatever was going on with Lydia and the King, and ran over to Cas, grabbing him by the coat and pressing their mouths together. Cas gave a surprised kind of noise before he got on board, reaching up to the back of Dean’s head. Dean licked into his mouth hungrily, then was suddenly aware they had an audience. The crowd around them was chattering loudly, and his face flushed as he realised the “ohhhh” he’d heard as he’d kissed Cas hadn’t just been in his head.

Eyes closed, he pressed his forehead into Cas’, nearly knocking off the flower crown in the process. “I’m glad you’re all right,” he murmured, eyes closed. 

Cas ran his palm lightly down the side of Dean’s face, then pushed back slightly to look at him. “Dean, what are you _doing_ here?” 

Dean was taken aback by the urgency in his voice. “We, uh… came to rescue you.”

Cas sighed. “Thank you, but that wasn’t necessary. I've been trying to negotiate terms of our release.”

Of course he had—his wonderful, pacifist-warrior boyfriend. “Oh. Sorry. What's with the getup?” he added, gesturing to the flowers still balanced on Cas’ head.

“It's…customary to adorn an emissary, Dean.”

Dean held in a laugh. “Adorn? Right.” 

A voice came from behind him, full of mirth. “Castiel! You never told us you had a human lover. Isn't he a pretty one?” The King stood there, and Dean felt the eyes of the whole court on him. He squared his shoulders and gave the fairies his best stink-eye. 

“Your Majesty, King Oberon, may I present my partner, Dean. A hunter of great prowess. And,” he continued as he saw Jack where he was still standing with Lydia, surrounded by guards, “my son, Jack.”

A smile broke out on Jack's face at Cas’ words, but it dropped again when the King laughed.

“Really, Castiel. You should know better than to go around fathering nephilim. Still, I've never had such diverse playthings. The hunter and your half-angel spawn shall join me in my pleasure garden. I shall enjoy collecting you.”

As the guards stepped forward again, Dean turned quickly to Cas. “Where are the kids?” 

Cas inclined his head, flicking his eyes to the other side of the room, where Jake and a taller kid stood. They were both standing against the wall, still wearing their jeans and jackets, staring blankly ahead as the court moved and murmured in the room.

Dean turned back to Oberon. “Sorry dude, but we kinda gotta get home. Thanks for the invitation to the, uh, garden, though.”

The King’s grin turned slightly feral. “Oh, I wasn’t inviting you. Guards.”

The guard nearest Dean reached out to grab him, but Cas called, “Dean!” When Dean looked up at him, his hand was extended and his angel blade manifested in midair. Dean reached out to catch it, then spun and buried it in the guard's chest. Dean turned to search the crowd. “Jack!” he shouted when he found him, pointing towards the kids. 

Jack’s eyes were wide but he put his hand on Lydia’s arm and vanished with her to where the two boys were standing. Then all four of them blinked out of view.

Cas grappled with the guard who had tried to come after him, planting a hand on his head and smiting him in a flash of light. He moved closer to Dean, and they stood back to back as more guards piled in from the sides of the room. Dean saw Cas take down two more with bright flashes, but he was busy fending off the wicked blade of another fairy who was coming at him. The fairy lunged and Dean barely jumped aside as the blade sliced along his ribs. He gasped and grabbed at his side with his free hand. 

The King had backed away when the ruckus started, but as the guards surrounded Dean and Cas, advancing, he spoke. “Give it up, Castiel. You and your human can either live out your service in my court, or die.”

Dean sneered at him, “I don’t think so, Doctor No. Aren't you guys supposed to be the good fairies?”

“You're the one who spilled blood in my court.” He gestured to the guards, his wings fluttering with agitation. “Take them.”

Dean spotted the bag with his weapons in it on the shoulder of the guard who now lunged towards him, but he barely managed to grab it and growl in the face of the guy before someone grabbed him by the arm and all was cold and dark. 

He flailed around, disoriented, then as soon as he realised what had happened, it was over. He stumbled forward as they materialised in the living room of Mrs Burke's house.

Dean looked around and sighed as he saw the two kids huddled together with Lydia near the door. He turned as Jack let go of his arm. As Dean watched, the flower crown on Cas’ head withered and died, turning to dust. Cas ruffled his hair to shake it off into the air, and the messy locks sent a bolt of heat to Dean's core. He hurriedly suppressed that thought as well as he could as he passed Cas his angel blade, then looked to Jack. 

“Jack! What took you so long? We were nearly meat!”

Jack looked horrified. “I came back as soon as I could!”

Cas glared pointedly at Dean before turning to Jack. “Thank you, Jack. I'm grateful that you all came to find us eventually.”

“Eventually?” Dean laughed, feeling a rush of relief at being back in the right world again. “Jack flew here to us and we came through right after you left. The walk to the city was an hour, tops.”

Cas squinted, looking confused. “Dean, I may have lost count because the _aos sí_ don't sleep much, but we were there for at least five days. The children had to eat the fae food, that's why they look so…vacant.”

Lydia spoke up. “Time moves differently in Avalon. I've seen it before. A standard term of servitude in the court is one hundred years, but only a few weeks might have passed here when you come back.”

“Really?” Dean turned back to Cas, suddenly glad that Jack had heard his prayer. 

Lydia continued, “Let's go back to the store, okay? Jack, can you fly all of us?”

In a blink, they found themselves back in the corner store. Lydia got busy right away, grabbing an armful of candy bars for the kids and helping Jack to open a few. 

“They'll be fine,” Lydia continued, smiling as she came back over to where Cas and Dean stood. “Chocolate really helps.”

Cas let out a gasp. “Dean, you're hurt!”

Dean removed his hand from his side, still clutching the silky bag that held his gun and knives. His hand and the bag were covered in blood, but the stinging had eased to a dull ache. “It's not bad, I'm okay.”

Cas tucked his blade away and reached out, sending grace into Dean's side. The cool wash of it left Dean with a euphoric feeling that wasn't completely about the pain relief. He met Cas’ gaze, smiling at him gently. 

“Thanks. Were you really negotiating your way out of there?”

Cas sighed. “Yes. It's been a long while since any heavenly beings have visited Avalon, apparently. I told them I was an emissary from Heaven. I hoped I could bring the children back when I was on my way back there.”

“But the gates of Heaven are closed,” Dean said, still trying not to eye off Cas’ just-fucked hair. The longing to grab a handful of it was like a physical ache.

“Yes, well, they didn't know that.”

“At least we got away.” Lydia sighed. “Oberon knows your faces now. Y'all might have to watch your backs.” She turned to smile at Jack, who was eating a Nougat bar with Sophie's brother, while Jake stretched and looked around, his mouth full of chocolate. “Reckon you could get the kids home? I'll get these wards back up to make sure no one else comes through.”

“Thanks for your help, Lydia. Or Adylle, was it?” Dean asked.

She chuckled, sounding tired. “No, I left that name behind. I remember what the court can be like, now. Sometimes there's just no going back, once you've left. Thanks for bringin’ me and the kids home.” 

Dean wondered who she'd freed that first time, that bringing two people to Avalon hadn't made up for. He kept quiet though, and moved over to the kids. They looked a bit more energetic after the chocolate. 

As he approached, Jake turned his big eyes up to him. “Can we go home now, mister?”

Dean nodded. “Yup. You got all your stuff?”

“I ate my candy in the fairy place,” he said with a small frown. 

Dean looked around at the scattered candy wrappers on the floor. “You haven't had enough already?”

Sophie's brother, whose name Dean couldn't remember, gave Dean an incredulous look. “Dude, it's Halloween. If you don't eat so much you puke, you definitely haven't had enough.”

Dean grinned. A kid after his own heart. “Fair enough, uh, what was your name again?”

“Jamie.”

“Right. Well, gather up some more of this candy and let's head home. I don't think Lydia will mind,” he added in a loud whisper. 

Cas chuckled as he approached. “We'd better get moving. I'm sure your parents are worried.”

Jamie jumped up. “Come on, Jack. I'll show you the new Assassin’s Creed. It's awesome.”

“Okay! Uh, is that okay?” Jack turned to Cas and Dean, grinning. 

“Of course. We'll, uh…see you at home,” Cas said, then gave him one of those full-face winks that always turned Dean's insides to complete mush. 

The two boys ran outside and Cas and Dean followed with Jake. A few houses down, Jake's mom was happy to hear that he'd had a good night trick or treating. Dean and Cas stood outside the front gate until they saw the front door open, then they ducked back up the street towards the car. 

Dean leaned into Cas as they walked along, threading their fingers together. “Why can't we ever just go somewhere without it turning into a case?”

Cas huffed. “If I didn't know better I might think that trouble followed you around.”

“No,” Dean murmured. “Just you.” He leaned over and placed a kiss on Cas’ lips. 

Cas smiled as they approached the car. “Actually, I think it's you following me around.”

Dean opened the driver's door and slid inside. “What makes you say that?”

“You followed me to Avalon, didn't you?”

Dean started up the car with a rumble. “That was just one time.”

“Sure,” Cas replied, leaning over to kiss Dean's cheek.

***

The road to the cabin wasn't long, but it wound through pitch-dark forest. Dean was relieved to see a light shining through trees ahead, which happened to be a small, battery-operated lantern on a wooden chair on the cabin's front porch. They'd lost phone signal a few miles back—it was properly off-grid, here. He hoped the text he'd sent to Sam earlier would be enough to keep the Moose from worrying. At least he knew Jack could hear prayers if this forest turned out to be full of wendigos or something. 

Dean fished Lydia's key out of his pocket and opened the cabin's door. The interior was cool and dark, and as Cas grabbed the lantern and followed him in, Dean was hit by a wonderful smell. It was sweet, and spicy, and almost exactly like… 

“Oh, Lydia's left us a bottle of wine, here. That's nice.” Cas picked the bottle up, turning it to examine in the dim light. 

“Excuse me, did you totally miss what was next to it?” Dean lifted a tea towel on a broad dining table to reveal a pie, its golden crust a gleaming latticework. If his nose didn't lie, it had to be apple. 

Dean looked around, noting a pre-built fire in the fireplace, an inviting couch and a door that must lead to a bedroom. The kitchen was simple, with what he assumed was a gas-powered oven and stovetop, plus a small icebox. He turned to Cas, pulling him in for a sideways hug. He planted a kiss on Cas’ temple. 

“Mmm, all my favourite things in one place. Oh, and you're here too,” he grinned. 

Cas eyed him, one eyebrow raised. “I don't know, Dean. I'm pretty sure I'm your favourite.”

“Is that so? How about you remind me?” He pressed his lips to Cas’ jaw, letting the stubble rub slightly across his lips. 

Cas let out a breathy gasp that went straight to Dean's cock. “The whole time I was in Avalon, all those days, all I could think about was getting back to this.” He pushed Dean back so he could kiss him hungrily, his hands pushing up and under Dean's t-shirt. 

As much as Dean wanted to continue, they were standing in a dark, cold kitchen. He put his hands on Cas’ chest and pushed him back gently. 

“Whoa, hold up. Let me light the fire and we can get comfy.”

Without looking away from him, Cas held up one hand and clicked his fingers. Flames burst from the pile of wood, lighting up the room. Without missing a beat, Cas grabbed Dean, spun him around and kissed him as he walked him backwards towards the couch. 

Dean's brain had left the building. Every now and then he forgot that he was in love with a celestial being, thousands of years old. Dean's own life must be like a tiny blip in the unfathomable span of Cas’, and yet here he was, tongue in Dean's mouth and erection pressed against his leg. He felt insignificantly small, yet at the same time, as expansive as the sky. 

Dean's knees hit the arm of the couch and he flopped backwards onto it, panting and overwhelmed. The heat from the fire scoured his skin, or was that Cas’ darkened gaze as he shrugged off his coats and dropped them to the floor? Dean let out what was certainly not a whimper as Cas loosened his tie. He'd been looking forward to this moment all fucking day, and it was finally, _finally_ here. He gave an annoyed huff as he realised there was just one thing holding him back from being fucked into these couch cushions. 

“Hold that thought, sweetheart. Just gotta grab something from the car.”

Cas did a full-body eyeroll. “Now? Can't it wait five minutes?” Cas grabbed at him as soon as he was standing, palming the hard line in his jeans and scraping his teeth along Dean's jaw. 

Dean shuddered and dragged himself away. “Look, grace doesn't really cut it as lube, okay? I'll just grab the astroglide and be right back.”

Cas let out a frustrated growl as Dean practically ran out of the cabin. He grabbed his overnight bag from the back seat and high-tailed it back inside, dumping the bag on the table and rifling through it until he located the lube. 

When he turned back to the fire, it took him a few moments to find Cas again, and then his heart skipped a beat. Cas was sitting comfortably in the armchair, dressed in the cowboy costume again, one jeans-clad leg crossed over his knee, his bare foot hanging. The hat was pulled low, hiding his eyes in shadow. 

Cas drawled out, “Well, howdy, partner.”

Dean's knees weakened and he involuntarily tightened his fists. The cap of the lube popped off, and clear jelly squirted out all over the rug. 

“Shit! Oh, shit,” Dean's fist sprung open again and he dropped the lube. “Jesus.” He turned to the kitchen to find tissues or something to clean up with, grabbed a handful, then dropped to his knees on the rug. He felt something wet under his knee and realised he'd knelt right in a patch of lube. He cursed again, but stilled when Cas chuckled. 

“Dean, don't worry about it. We'll clean up later. Just get over here.”

Dean dropped the tissues on the rug and walked over to Cas on his knees. He stopped just in front of him and drank in the sight. The jeans he was wearing were slightly bigger than the tight pair he'd borrowed earlier, but they still held his thighs in a firm grip. The shirt was cheap and flimsy, but in the firelight it almost looked authentic. Cas had pushed the hat up slightly to gaze at Dean with hungry eyes, and they shone in the flickering light. “What is it?” Cas asked. 

Dean had to swallow several times to try to moisten his parched throat before he answered, “I… I fucking love you.” He leaned forward to kiss Cas, his fingers running along Cas’ stubbled jaw. 

Cas responded heatedly, groaning into Dean's mouth. 

Dean ran his hands down Cas’ back, then around to the front of his pants, unbuckling his belt and popping the button off his jeans. As soon as he felt the smooth material underneath, he sat back on his heels. _The panties._ There was no fucking way he was going to rush this. 

He pulled Cas forward, saying, “Stand up. I wanna see them.”

Cas stood, stepping away from the chair and towards the fire, trying to avoid stepping on sticky spots on the rug. Dean pulled his own shirt off over his head, but got distracted as Cas faced away from Dean as he unzipped the jeans. Dean’s mouth had gone from dry to salivating in moments as he admired the view. Cas was still wearing the cowboy hat, and it was making Dean’s already tight jeans even tighter.

Cas slowly pulled the denim down over his ass, then peered back over his shoulder at Dean to see his reaction. Dean gaped, sure he was about to have heart failure. The panties were shiny in the firelight, but it wasn’t quite bright enough to make out a color. What was really making him salivate, though, was that there were two sections cut out of the panties, so that thin strips ran below the globes of Cas’ ass. He let out a strangled whine, and Cas threw him a predatory smile. Dean wanted to touch so badly, but he waited until Cas had dropped the jeans to the floor and stepped out of them before he surged forward, grabbing a handful of Cas’ ass. 

Cas turned, showing Dean the front of the dark satin briefs. There was no lace on these particular pair, but they strained to cover Cas’ cock, barely containing it. Dean reached up on his knees, inhaling the scent of musky arousal. “So…so fucking hot…” he breathed. He rubbed his face all over the satin where it barely contained Cas, relishing the soft feeling on his cheek and the way his stubble caught on the fabric. 

Cas released a breathy gasp, ratcheting Dean’s own arousal up, so he reached down to unbuckle his own jeans, pulling his own aching cock free of his boxers with a small sigh. That was better. He left himself alone for now, though, and turned his cheek again to lick along the line of Cas’ erection through the satin. He nipped and licked around Cas’ cock until Cas threw his head back and gave a filthy moan, and Dean slid his fingers under the edge of the panties and pulled Cas out the side. He closed his mouth over his smooth length and sucked, eliciting a muttered, “Dean! Your mouth…” 

Dean pumped Cas, taking him as deeply in his throat as he dared without choking himself. He looked up and the sight of the cowboy hat still on Cas sent such a jolt of electricity down his spine that he nearly shot his load untouched. He groaned around his mouthful and the action pulled another ecstatic groan from Cas. “Stop, stop!” he said, pulling out of Dean’s mouth. “You’re gonna make me…No!” he insisted as Dean tried to bury his face in Cas’ crotch again. “Wait. Please, I...I want you to ride me.”

Dean stared up at his boyfriend, the angel who had fallen so far. He loved him with all of his being. “You don’t have to ask me twice. What happened to that lube?” He crawled over to fetch it, while Cas attempted to pull his jeans down his ass and legs. He clambered out of them but when he tried to flip over, Cas kept him on all fours with a hand on his lower back. 

Anticipation sent a thrill through him, followed by what was unmistakably a wash of grace. Angel prep was such a bonus. A moment later he felt what was unmistakably a tongue licking over his entrance and he gasped, relishing the feeling on the sensitive skin. Cas licked a few more times, then tentatively pressed a finger past the tight muscle. He pumped a few times, then the sound of the lube cap opening made Dean groan again, wanting to touch himself but knowing that he’d never last if he did. A second slippery finger joined the first and Dean gasped at the sensation, fucking himself back onto Cas’ hand. He started muttering, “Just like that, Cas. Open me up for your cock. Been wanting you to fuck me all fucking day…” Cas moaned this time, and Dean was sure he was pumping his own cock now in time with his fingers in Dean. A third finger burned, but the pressure eased and Dean groaned with impatience. 

He turned around, Cas’ fingers leaving him bereft, but he grabbed a chair from the dining table and pushed Cas into sitting on it. Cas rubbed his lubed up hand all over his own cock, gasping and staring at Dean as stood, moving forward to straddle him. He locked his eyes with Cas’ as he lined Cas up and sank down slowly, savouring the burn as Cas breached his entrance. They breathed together as Dean seated himself fully on Cas, wondering if he would ever get used to the feeling of fullness in that first thrust. Cas reached up and kissed Dean sweetly, the cowboy hat bumping off onto the floor as it hit Dean’s forehead. 

Dean chuckled. “Don’t need no cowboy anyway… just you.” Their kiss turned deeper, more heated, and Dean lifted up slightly and pushed down again, making both of them gasp into each other’s mouths. He started up a gently rhythm, breaths heavier and electricity fizzing, radiating out to his limbs. Cas latched onto Dean’s neck just below his ear, sucking roughly. “Yes, mark me…” Dean whispered. Cas’ big hands were on his waist, helping him to move up and down as he thrust upwards from the hips. The slap of skin was loud, even over the rushing in Dean’s ears as he called Cas’ name. Cas grabbed him and started pumping loosely with his already slick fist. Dean tensed up as he felt his release rushing through him, making his rhythm falter, and he called, “Oh God, Cas!” Streaks of white shot between them. Cas moved his hands back to Dean’s hips and pushed him up and down a few more times until he came too, thrusting hard up into Dean as he came with a wordless cry. 

Dean rested his forehead on Cas’ shoulder as he panted, trying to regain coherent thought. Cas pressed a line of kisses up Dean’s jaw until he reached Dean’s mouth, and Dean joined in. Dean eyed the hat, now lying on the floor next to the dining chair. “Is that… is that my hat?” 

Cas looked sheepish. “It is. I thought you might like it—I wasn’t planning on finding the rest of the outfit, too.”

“I’m so glad you did, though. You make a great cowboy.” Dean kissed him again, then got up, wincing at the dripping sensation. Cas waved a hand and the mess was gone, and Dean was once again thankful that Cas still had some grace and was willing to use it to clean up inconvenient messes. 

“How about some pie? We can warm it up by the fire.”

Cas smiled at him as he straightened his panties. “I’ll have a taste of yours.”

Dean hunted around in the kitchen, finding a bowl and spoons. In the process he found a container of cream in the icebox and turned, saying, “Be right back.”

Dean opened the front door and furtively glanced around into the silent forest. He placed a saucer of cream down on the step. There wouldn’t be any fucking fairies disturbing his night with his angel, thanks very much. He turned back to the firelit room and shut the door firmly behind him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading my story :)
> 
> If you enjoyed it, would you consider [reblogging](https://ellen-of-oz.tumblr.com/post/178005632691/undercover-angel-EllenOfOz-supernatural) it? 
> 
> What's coming next? My story for the DCBB is posting next week (*quakes in terror*), and I have more Smut Bingo on the way after that. 
> 
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